Friday, 25 June 2010

When a lightbulb burns out, we rarely give it a second thought. Thank goodness some quality crafters have lent their imagination toward this fragile household item, intent on giving burnt out bulbs a second life as something very different, and aesthetically pleasing. Light up your house and defy expectations with these DIY uses for otherwise useless lightbulbs:

Terrariums are often large and complicated affairs that take up a good amount of space that a lot of urban dwellers can’t afford. Enter the lightbulb terrarium, a quick and easy DIY project that lends a bit of nature to a bookshelf or table.

Anything worth making is worth making steampunk. A unique terrarium built into something much more complicated and beautiful, these setups are gorgeous examples of craftsmanship, culminating in the patent magnifying glass to get a close up view of your mini garden.

Ships in a bottle are classic, but why not take it a step further and create a ship in a lightbulb? These examples epitomize a curveball in an otherwise cliche artform that’s both green and interesting.

While I’m naturally a bit wary of creating a kerosene lamp out of something so fragile (and with a curved base), less timid crafters have perfected a safe and gorgeous design for easy to make lightbulb lamps. There’s something wonderful about turning a symbol of the electric era into a throwback lamp with the same purpose, but in such a different fashion.